Innovative National Partnership of Health Care Organizations takes a Bold New Approach to Solving the Drug-Shortage Problem

(WILMINGTON, Del. – March 1, 2019)

As part of a nationwide effort to reduce chronic drug shortages, Christiana Care Health System  has joined Civica Rx, a new nonprofit organization created to give health systems access to reliable generic drugs at an appropriate price. Civica Rx is an innovative collaborative initiative designed to reduce costs and create greater stability and predictability in the supply chain of many generic medications.

“In our commitment to deliver accessible, high-quality, affordable care to everyone we serve, we are continuously looking for strategic partnerships and opportunities for innovation that will make a positive impact on the health and well-being of our community,” said Sharon Kurfuerst, Ed.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, FACHE, FABC, chief operating officer for Christiana Care. “Our partnership with Civica Rx will enable us to gain access to more affordable drugs and ensure that drug shortages do not negatively impact our patients. We are excited to be in this partnership which will ultimately impact the neighbors we serve.”

Civica Rx was established in 2018 by three philanthropies and seven health care systems that, like Christiana Care, have experienced firsthand the impact of generic drug shortages, such as the national shortage in saline in the wake of Hurricane Maria in 2017.

“Drug shortages are a significant challenge for hospitals across the nation,” said Terri Corbo, Pharm.D., BCPS, FASHP, vice president of Christiana Care Pharmacy Services. “At Christiana Care, we have a strong track record of successfully meeting the needs of our patients on a daily basis, but behind the scenes it takes tremendous effort and resources to respond to drug shortages when they do happen. This innovative effort by like-minded health care systems to stabilize the supply chain has the potential to drastically improve our operating efficiency which ultimately benefits the patients we serve.”

Christiana Care joined Civica Rx for the opportunity to positively transform the existing generic drug pricing and supply model. Civica Rx will enter long-term contracts with both its health system partners and its manufacturing partners to set the demand and assure that there is a dedicated manufactured capacity for the medications that hospitals like Christiana Care require to optimally care for its patients.

Civica RX also will provide transparent pricing for all of the drugs it manufactures, so hospitals can understand the true price of making the drug and as a way to ensure the costs are sustainable.

“We are thrilled to welcome Christiana Care as a partnering member of Civica Rx,” said Martin VanTrieste, CEO of Civica Rx. “Drug shortages have become a national crisis where patient treatments and surgeries are canceled, delayed or suboptimal. We thank Christiana Care for joining us to make essential generic medicines accessible and affordable in Delaware hospitals.”

Civica Rx’s unique business model is designed to ensure that essential generic medicines are consistently accessible and affordable within a robust and reliable supply chain. Civica Rx plans to bring at least 14 hospital-administered generic drugs to hospitals and health care systems in 2019 as the initial focus of the company’s efforts, with many additional medications prioritized by the health care systems in the next phase of focus.

The company is working toward becoming a U.S. Food & Drug Administration-approved manufacturer and will either directly manufacture generic drugs or sub-contract manufacturing to trusted supply partners.

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About ChristianaCare

Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, ChristianaCare is one of the country’s most dynamic health care organizations, centered on improving health outcomes, making high-quality care more accessible and lowering health care costs. ChristianaCare includes an extensive network of primary care and outpatient services, home health care, urgent care centers, three hospitals (1,430 beds), a freestanding emergency department, a Level I trauma center and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit, a comprehensive stroke center and regional centers of excellence in heart and vascular care, cancer care and women’s health. It also includes the pioneering Gene Editing Institute.

ChristianaCare is nationally recognized as a great place to work, rated by Forbes as the 2nd best health system for diversity and inclusion, and the 29th best health system to work for in the United States, and by IDG Computerworld as one of the nation’s Best Places to Work in IT. ChristianaCare is rated by Healthgrades as one of America’s 50 Best Hospitals and continually ranked among the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and other national quality ratings. ChristianaCare is a nonprofit teaching health system with more than 260 residents and fellows. With its groundbreaking Center for Virtual Health and a focus on population health and value-based care, ChristianaCare is shaping the future of health care.

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